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Letters to Father : Sister Maria Celeste to Galileo, 1623-1633

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Virginia Galilei entered the Convent of San Mateo near Florence at the age of thirteen, taking the name Maria Celeste. From then on Suor Maria rarely saw her father, though she wrote to him nearly every day. Although the letters Galileo wrote to his daughter do not survive, he kept the letters he received from Suor Maria, hence this volume. "Letters to Father" is a collection of 124 of her letters spanning the years 1623 to 1633, translated into English by best-selling author Dava Sobel ("Galileo's Daughter") and printed alongside the original Italian.

The period in history during which Suor Maria wrote these letters witnessed the occurence of such events as The Thirty Years War, the outbreak of the Black Plague, the election of a new Pope and, last but certainly not least, the arrest and trial of Galileo for heresy. Suor Maria, though cloistered in a convent, exhibits considerable knowledge of current events of the day through her commentary contained in her letters.

Sour Maria's letters also illustrate the loving relationship she shared with her father (apparently Galileo had a great love for candied fruits, which Suor Maria cheerfully made for him), as well as details of her day to day management of his estate while he was being held by church authorities, such as maintenance of the house, decanting casks of wine in the cellar (lower quality wine was given to the servants, who presumably wouldn't know better), etc.

Suor Maria's letters provide insights into Galileo's private life as well as the important events of the day. In reading these letters I felt as though I were getting to know Suor Maria, and I found the experience to be fascinating and sometimes moving.

Sadly, Suor Maria fell ill and died shortly after the last letter reprinted in "Letters to Father". Her letters are a fitting memorial to her life and her love for her father.

This collection of all surviving letters from Suor Maria Celeste to Galileo Galilei, translated by the author and published for the first time in English, constitutes a portrait of a young nun devoted to her internationally famous father.

LETTERS TO FATHER is a fast read; the even numbered pages contain the original Italian, the odd numbered pages contain their English translations. Ms. Sobel provides unobtrusive annotations in the margins that clarify allusions in the text, provide context in light of world events, and explain gaps in the dialogue: Galileo's responses to his daughter's letters are no longer extant.

Suor Maria Celeste's (Virginia Galilei's) adoration for her father is abundantly evident during the ten year correspondence. As is her nearly constant need for financial assistance. LETTERS TO FATHER provides a window into life in an early 17th century Italian monastery.

Despite Virginia's dire poverty and excruciating toothaches, her optimism and wry sense of humor show through. My favorite line: "If Vincenzio remains suspicious of your possible contagion, Sire, that will be to your advantage, since no one takes money from a person infected with the plague; and thus he, who has such great fear of the disease, will demand no funds from you." I would also like to quote, from a different letter, "I implore you not to confuse yourself with drink, as I hear you have been doing." The latter was written during Galileo's deposition before the Inquisition.

I believe LETTERS TO FATHER should be read after Ms. Sobel's companion book, GALILEO'S DAUGHTER, a biography of Suor Maria Celeste that (necessarily) includes a portrait of Galileo's personal life, one I consider to be the best in print.

Ms. Sobel no doubt published this book in an effort to fill a gap in the scholarly literature. When I read it, I read a love story.

Beautiful, well written glimpses into Galileo's daughter's life in the convent, her relationship with her father, his scientific work, and interactions with the Church. Easy, engaging, and rich read.